To succeed in life, as in baseball, means overcoming adversity, about 200 human kinetics students and faculty heard from alumnus Joe Siddall (BHK 2007), a retired professional baseball player and current broadcaster for the Toronto Blue Jays, during an address at his alma mater Thursday, February 8.

“Baseball is a game of failure. Even the best in the world fail 70 per cent of the time they walk to the plate,” Siddall said. “You will face failure in your life — it’s inevitable. But it’s what you do after you fail that will determine your character.”

Hailed a strong defensive catcher and a great teammate, Siddall played a total of 12 professional seasons, including stints with the Florida Marlins, Montreal Expos, and Detroit Tigers.

Dean of human kinetics Michael Khan said he thought the message Siddall delivered rang true to all in attendance.

“Joe did an excellent job of showing that careers are not linear,” he said. “Based on his diverse education and experience in sport, he stressed the importance of stepping out of comfort zones and taking chances in order to succeed in the pursuit of one’s passions.”

“You can just tell that by listening to Joe, he is full of passion,” she said. “In the future, I want to wake up every morning to a career that I am excited to do.… Seeing Joe come from a program that I am currently enrolled in gives me a sign that my dreams are attainable.”

The event was part of the HK Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series. For more information on the series or how to become involved with Human Kinetics, contact Christine Colautti or visit www.uwindsor.ca/hk.